Anyone had that 'too much is too much' funk?

[GrantB]

I think finding your own voice is the key to satisfaction. .... are not based around wanting access to a range of another players sounds. .... I'd prefer to give a song my own take rather than exactly duplicate the original....
.

I think this is it...I have my own sound that I use for most gigs. Even originals gigs. In terms of a palette to choose from...I'm definitely driven by what I hear in my head especially for originals. That is what has driven me into that dark territory of Fenders recently...because that's what I was hearing for the songs I was being asked to contribute to.

So, the song and your own tonal signature should drive the gear you have....not the other way around...to me anyways.

[null_pointer]

Right so sell a few amps and buy that /13 and be done with the whole malarkey seems to be the gist of it...!
Or get (another) Kemper.

[sidewinder]

Timely thread, I've been thinking about this a LOT for the last too weeks, so I'll just come right out and say it.

I think the continual drive for something better somewhere along the line turned into dissatisfaction with what we have because there's so much great stuff out there, and its made us all miserable.

There is a serious amount of cork-sniffing, GAS, and an overall "more more more" in the guitar community as a whole and it sucks. I think it only gets worse as time goes by, especially for those of us on a good career track or successful business, it's easy to focus on the next big all the time, but I really think its making us unhappy.

[Molly]

Timely thread, I've been thinking about this a LOT for the last too weeks, so I'll just come right out and say it.

I think the continual drive for something better somewhere along the line turned into dissatisfaction with what we have because there's so much great stuff out there, and its made us all miserable.

There is a serious amount of cork-sniffing, GAS, and an overall "more more more" in the guitar community as a whole and it sucks. I think it only gets worse as time goes by, especially for those of us on a good career track or successful business, it's easy to focus on the next big all the time, but I really think its making us unhappy.

For years I was perfectly happy with my Marshall 2x12 800 Series combo. Guitars still came and went but it was just a given that the 50w Marshall was the only amp to have. So now I've four amps, the latest of which cost a small fortune and isn't a million miles from the Marshall I started with.

I blame you lot...

[StratMatt]

I think most of whats driven my relatively small gear merry-go-round in the last couple of years (aside from this forum) is just the thrill of trying something new. I've done the big pedalboard thing, had all sorts of amps - digital and valve - and come out knowing what I like. What I like is the AX8; I honestly cant see that going anywhere for the next few years. The Mark V will go first if things get tight.

I've never really gassed for amps though. I've got a good range within my 6 electrics so I'm trying to stick with what I've got. I also think all this gear muck around can be an escape from other things going on in life, it can get pretty addictive and I don't always have time to practise so gear trading is like the next best thing.

[null_pointer]

Right I'm off to modify my for sale thread I think. Including adding the second H9 Core I have to it, as currently I use it as a tuner.

Yes, a tuner.

[sizzlingbadger]

It's happening with everything these days. Constant upgrades to products and the need to have the latest model. I see the same thing on the motorcycle forums, people selling bikes at huge losses just to be able to have latest one. They spend $1000's on extras too but then never ride them further than the local cafe.

[LucyTheSpud]

Right I'm off to modify my for sale thread I think. Including adding the second H9 Core I have to it, as currently I use it as a tuner.

Yes, a tuner.

Iv been using a pitchfactor as a wammy and a tuner for months now. So much potential, so little fucks for setting up presets.

[GrantB]

Constant upgrades to products and the need to have the latest model.

I'm heading in the other direction...

[Bg]

Right I'm off to modify my for sale thread I think. Including adding the second H9 Core I have to it, as currently I use it as a tuner.

Yes, a tuner.

Yes, that is mental.

[Bg]

dunno if this is really the same thing, but I have about 8 guitars currently in one piece (others in various stage of build/repair/smashing) but I tend to make them feel and sound the same.... oh single coils? lets get some humbuckers in there etc. No trem? lets fit one! re-frets etc etc. Why don't I just stick with one guitar that does what I want instead of making them all less individual?

At least I know what I like amp wise - Marshall dirt and Tweed clean. or maybe blackface clean. and sometimes marshall clean is pretty good too sigh

[willow13]

I think the continual drive for something better somewhere along the line turned into dissatisfaction with what we have because there's so much great stuff out there, and its made us all miserable.

There is a serious amount of cork-sniffing, GAS, and an overall "more more more" in the guitar community as a whole and it sucks. I think it only gets worse as time goes by, especially for those of us on a good career track or successful business, it's easy to focus on the next big all the time, but I really think its making us unhappy.

I guess i'm lucky. I have never had the drive for wanting something better, in fact I never chased a tone until I went to my first Tronfest and Steve (tonemaker) started going on about a tone he was trying to "get" and he asked me something or other about my tone. That got me think about what I wanted to hear when I play so a little while later I sold my amp and bought a Jet city amp because I tried a few different amps out at the rockshop (after doing a little research online) and that had the tone I wanted....the a year or so later an EVH popped up cheap on TM and I got that because that had the same kind of tone only with "more" (more gain, more saturation, more "compression" more channels). I have been in tone heaven ever since

[Reg18]

Find the best sounding cab with the right speakers and even a Squire and a SS practice amp can sound good!
Not a blanket rule, but I've been surprised how good some crappy amps can sound when you get the Cab bit of the equation right. And on the other side of this theory I've sold great amps that I could never get to sound as good as I'd hoped and I'm pretty sure the Cab was the problem not the amp!

[jeremyb]

I still remember how awesome that little Orange (micro terror?) that Molly had at a gearfest into a splawn 4x12??? man that sounded epic!

[sidewinder]

Find the best sounding cab with the right speakers and even a Squire and a SS practice amp can sound good!

A month ago I took my current project guitar (Squier SE) to my friends house and plugged it into his project amp (MojoTone Princeton clone).

We both said "wow" at the exact same time. Full cost of both well under $1k. He also had some no name Jazzmaster that he'd picked up somewhere, body on that thing was crazy resonant and it sounded creamy and thick.

Having owned an American Standard and a Squier, I think I'd be happy with a MIM Standard tbh. I love not having to be dear about my gear at all. I don't think I could feel that way with anything over a grand used.

Pretty hard not to buy into the consumerist side of things, even though I strongly believe you CAN buy quality. Gotta check myself before I wreck myself every goddamn day. Just keep reminding myself that Fender, Gibson, PRS, etc are really at the end of the day, companies, with private or public shareholders, and thats probably the hippiest thing I'll say all week.